1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for depositing sheets output by an office machine, such as a computer printer or copier, according to the preamble of claim 1.
2. Background Art
In the case of numerous office machines, such as printers, telecopiers, copying devices etc., the sheets provided by the office machine with recordings are deposited in stacked form. If successive sheets which belong to different processes are deposited on the stack, it is necessary to select laboriously from the stack the sheet groups belonging to the individual processes. This is the case, for example, if several monitor work stations are connected to a common central printer, if different printing jobs are associated with different operators or if different documents are copied successively.
From Patents Abstracts of Japan M-657 (JP 62-167170 A) a copying device is known which comprises a supply tray for copying paper and a supply tray for separating films. After a group of associated copies have been deposited in stacked form in a deposit tray of the copying device, a separating film is deposited under control onto the stack. The separating films are longer than the sheets of the copying paper so that the separating films project from the stack in the deposit tray. In this way the associated sheets of a group can be readily separated and removed. The tray for the separating films is disposed at the supply tray for the copying paper. The separating films are transported through the copying device via the same transporting path as the copying paper. The separating films must therefore have substantially the same dimensions of width and the same material properties as the copying paper. The separating films are therefore not well suited for multiple use. Accordingly, simple placement of the used separating films back into the supply tray is not provided. From CH 647 735 A5 is known an arrangement for stacking folded printed sheets, in which the printed sheets drop into a stacking receptacle at the end of a conveying path and are stacked there. An associated group of printed sheets is each held together by an upper and a lower end plate. The end plates are individually supplied from a tray disposed above the stacking receptacle in holding devices, which deposit the end plates onto the stack of the printed sheets. The end plates have the same dimensions as the printed sheets and do not serve for dividing the stack but rather for pressing together the printed sheets.
From Patents Abstracts of Japan M-1168 (JP 3-166 164 A) is known an office machine in which at the holding bin for the recording paper also a holding bin for separating films is provided. After a group of sheets has been provided with recordings and deposited in stacked form in a deposit tray, a separating film is deposited under control onto the deposit stacking order to be able to separate the stack more readily. The separating films are transported from the holding bin through the office machine to the deposit tray with the separating films being transported by means of a shunt system past the recording station of the office machine. The arrangement for supplying the separating films is complicated and expensive. The dimensions of the separating film and the material properties are determined by the transport of the separating films through the office machine and cannot be freely selected. Accordingly, the separating films are poorly suited for multiple and repeated use and a simple placing-back of the used separating films into the supply bin is not provided.
In the case of all of these known arrangements the tray for the separating films is integrated into the office machine and the supply of the separating films to the sheet depository takes place through the office machine. It is therefore not possible, or at least very difficult to develop the same office machine optionally with or without a supply mechanism for separating films.